Physical and Perceptual Considerations for High-resolution Audio
It has been advocated that high-resolution audio means ultra-wide frequency range and that, given the limited sensitivity of human hearing for high frequencies, little is gained from high-resolution perceptually. Not much laboratory evidence is found to counter this assertion because psychoacoustic research has restricted itself largely to studying the effects of frequency range within 20Hz-20kHz rather than outside of it. The paper reviews some of the available findings in this area and focuses on remarkable complexities of auditory signals by looking at precise distinctions auditory system has to extract when analyzing time/space attributes of auditory scenes. It is shown that high-resolution in temporal, spatial, spectral, and dynamic domains together determine the quality value of perceived music and sound, and that temporal resolution may be the most important domain perceptually.
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